Street Mouse
by Anial Kir Summer
Summary: Check the title... I'm too lazy to describe... It's about Mouse and Alleycat...


Mite was like a brother. A lil' one. He may been the one that bring me here, to the tunnels with all the others, but he was still just a kid. I was twelve when he brought me in, knocked cold, like. I can't think what kind of mother I had. She was pretty is all I know. In Emelan most ladies is pretty, so I figure my mama was too. And she was a skirt. I know 'cause I was in skirts when they found me. Then the blue pox got him. I remember the day he croaked. It was the year after he brought me in. We was nicking a sup, 'cept for they was about to take Mite and Shift 'cuz Mite has blue pox and needs to see some skirt woman to have no blue pox. They says we was getting blue pox too. I never gets pox or sickness. I laughed, and the woman saws Shift's X hand. She says we is a street rat all surprised like and takes us to Thief Master. Kaq that he is. Shift taught me that word, it's a trader insult. He sees me and says, "They've got another street rat. but look, it's a mouse." A man pokes me. So that how I got named. Mouse. I'm no mouse. The fat man pokes my stomach and I turn and growl in my best mouse-eating cat, but the kaq laughs and says. "Vicious little rodent." I turn to him to tell him I am no mouse. He says I am right, I do not deserve to be a mouse, I am a street rat, but I am still a weak, female street rat, with too much hair, so I am a mouse. He puts an X on me, like Shift has, with a thorn and ink. Kaq. He killed Mite there same days. I felt stupid, and weak, like the mouse he called me. Shift looks at me funny as I glare at the bars of our cell. At least here we gets food. It's my first time I've been in the cage. I am a mouse. I am caged, and I am waiting for a day to get out of the spinning wheel that is my life. My breeches are rough against the floor. So is my small, short, almost tight tunic. I will not submit to this cat, this kaq they call the Thief Master. I snarl and snap my jaws at the guard. Shift looks at me sadly. "Mouse'll never learn." I look at him and stop, curling up on the large thing of moss at the base of the wall. The moss is a mark of Roach, the escaped mage. Back when he was around, five years ago, in the tunnels at least. Now he's famous. Shift leans back to the wall and sleeps. I snuggle up against Shift, who grumbled a little but let me stay, 'cause he knows Mite was bout all their was for me. My eyes starts to leaked. The nex' day he lets me and Shift outs. Shift said it's 'cause we don't got three X's. Mite had three. Now Shift has two. I has one. He marks us to die. Only the Thief God does that. Thief Master thinks he is god. Just 'cause we ain't skirts and robes don't mean we should die. Who's thinking we is is should. Not me. Not Shift. Not Mite. Not Leech or Grime or Alleycat, who's fifteen, or anyone. That kaq thinks he's god. Well, he ain't. He's like the devil. No one should kills for no good reason. Mite was a good kid. A good kid killed for a bad reason. That ain't fair. He says something about mangy curs to Shift. Then was to me- he said I was a little mouse and that he is a cat and will get his claws on my disgusting half-naked tail, but I'm mad so I spit at him and bare my teeth, that is sharp and yellow like a wild dogs. He wipes off my spit and grins, pulling out a whip. I hurts like the devil. He says I is a stupid street rat that there needs discipline. Discipline my tail! That was then, this is now. I still has the X, even thoughs Alleycat burnt his. He's sixteen nows. Shift taken cares of me. I taken cares of Shift too. He'd my family now. Him's all I got. Yeah, there's the other kids. But Alleycat is oldest by two years and Leech is younger and everyone else got killed. Leech is sweet for a little kid though. Alleycat is too. He's too alone. His eye don't even leak. I feel sorry to him. "Alleycat. It ain't your fault we kids is this bad off." I tell him. He turns around and smiles sadly. "No, it ain't. Problem is it ain't about us or Thief Master. I just wish. I used to know that one kid, Roach? He was just the same as none of us. But now he's over makin' magic and we're still here. Everyone he cared about is still here, or dead. And he never came back, not even once. And he never cared or stayed or nothing." "Oh." I says, quiet like. "Yeah." He says. "Then how comes your eye don't leaks?" I ask, curious. "Cuz it can't leak anymore. It's already leaked enough." Alleycat smiles at me. "When your eye can still leaks, your still ok. You stills got reason to be lived." "You gots reason to be lived." I reply, quiet. "As long as me and Shift and Leech are still lived. You just act all tough and old. Well, you ain't. You still got's plenty ahead of you. As long as there's me and Shift and Leech, you ain't got no right to say you've got no reason to be lived." He tousles my hair, which was shoulder-lengthed and messy, pulling me up against his chest like a little kid. "Once a skirt, always a skirt. But a street skirt. You're right, Mouse. Maybe I should teach you to speak proper. Ain't that an idea? You could be a decoy, like, pretend to browse and we'll steal the stuff. This ain't the life for you. You should've been a proper skirt, Mouse. Now your life's ruined." He let me lean on him for a second, then jumped in surprise. "What's'a matter?" I asked as he scooched away, looking deterred. "What's'a matter?" I asked again, getting annoyed. Alleycat was muttered something. "What?" "You're a. a girl." I rolled my eyes. "So what, I thought we was street rats!" His face turned red. "I knows, it's just. funny. It's not right." "Is street rats supposed to be rights or propers?" I retorted, then was sorry I'd said anything. "Maybe you should go talk to Thief Master." "Sorry. It's just. My self's gone funny." "I'll say." I says back. "No, I mean, my eyes have gone funnies. I see peoples differently, like you. You used to be a street rat, now yours a girl, and Leech used to be a street rat, but now she's like a kid." "Oh. Maybe you should goes see Thief Master. He's the only man you know." "Maybe I will. But what if I get in trouble?" "I'll go too." "But your hands isn't burnt!" "So, if we comes by ourselves he can't hurt me." "Ok." He says finally. We come up out of the tunnels into the market. We walk down to Thief Masters house all quiet and knocks. The guards lets us in, but they think it's funny we's heres by ourselves and they whispers about street rats coming to thief master voluntary. Alleycat winces as the laugh. The laugh is familiar to me. Thief Master smiles evilly as he sees us. "Come to turn yourselves in." Alleycat was frozen so I shake my head. "Alleycat is. seeing differently. And his face goes red and he calls me a skirt and a girl and talks about me and acts around me funny. Especially me. So I told him to come see you 'cuz you seem to know a lot and he said not unless he promised not to hurt us so you've gotta promise. That's all." Alleycat's face is red again and he gives me the look that means I've told other people too much of our business but I just shrug. Thief Master looks sad like he's sorry that something happened and smiles funny and says he won't hurt Alleycat but he thinks I shouldn't be around. He also says it's boy stuff and says he thinks he'd better talk to me after Alleycat too. And he says I am smart for a Mouse, so I smile and go away. Alleycat comes out later looking same as before, 'cept a little less confused and a little more at the same time. He looks at me and his face goes pinkish. "Thief Master wants you in there." "Your face is pink." "I know. I can feel it." "Where? On your face." He nods. "And other places. He'll teach you. Can if I goes by myself? I gotta get supper." I sigh but say ok and go see Thief Master. "So we meet again Mouse." "Street Mouse." "Street Mouse it is." "Only Alleycat and Shift and Leech call me Mouse." "What happened to the others?" "You killed them because you think you are god." "I am not god. But the man who thinks he is god would kill me." "Who's he?" "The Grand Thief Master." "Is that a very special you?" "No, I am no the only Thief Master. There are 10 of us, you know. My real name is Dylane." "No, you're Thief Master." "Very well. I don't think you should talk to me- It would be much better if you talked to Anial. Anial!" "Who's she?" "My wife. I'm going to leave." A woman with masses of thick wavy brown hair tied back with a scarf appeared. "Hey! You're the Thief Mistress. I've heard of you. You work in the south." She nods. "How old are you?" She asked. "Thirteen, maybe fourteen years. I don't know." "Can I call you Mouse?" she asks. "Yes, Mistress." "You're very polite for your lifestyle." "I was born a skirt. Alleycat thinks I deserve a better life." "I see. Sit down, this might take a while."  
  
When I got back, everyone was already asleep, so I slept too. Alleycat woke up when I came in. The crystal was still lit just barely, so I could see him. "Alleycat?" I asked, curious again. "What?" "Do you love me?" "What kind of a question is that? "A Street Mouse question." "I don't know." "Ok." We were quiet. "I met Thief Mistress." His eyes widened. "Really?" "Yeah. She's kinda like Thief Master. They kind of are nice- they just don't want to get in trouble with their boss." There was a silence again. "What do you think of Thief Master?" "I think he's kinda scary. And maybe we shouldn't steal." "And what if I told you he said he was going to talk over with the other masters about adopting us- except me." "That wouldn't be right!" "I'm old enough to live alone, he says. He asked a truthsayer how old I am, Mouse. I'm 16. And supposedly your 13. And he says he'll let me have boarding and apprenticeship. He says he doesn't like when people have to kill, steal, or hurt for money and since there's only three of you he can just adopt you all." "Oh. Do I have to wear skirts?" He shook his head. "Thief Mistress doesn't. But Shift and Leech have to change their names." "What about me?" "Mouse is an OK name. I'm not changing mine 'cuz I'm old enough not to. They already know." "When did you talk to Thief Master. He seemed surprised there were only four of us." Alleycat grinned. "After he finished talking to you. I stayed back to wait but he came out and told me you might take longer." "But we're street rats!" "And you were born a skirt. Go to bed, Mouse. I'm tired." "But Al-" "Goodnight, Mouse." "Goodnight, Alleycat."  
  
The next day Me and Alleycat and Shift and Leech went to go see Thief Master and Mistress. Me and Leech got separated from Shift and Alleycat. We went with Thief Mistress, first to the city. Thief mistress bought one skirt for each of us and tunics and breeches otherwise. She said the skirts were for special occasions. She also bought some thick, elastic, bands that I recognized by description and shirts. I could feel my face going red but she smiled. She split the clothes discreetly and handed me and Leech sacks, then she took us to the city's upper class baths. She ordered us both to strip and enter the water, and when I protested she did it herself and pushed me in. Leech was smart to obey after she saw that. Then Thief Mistress did the same. She dunked me under and pulled me back up, working my hair with bark lather, a comb, and a pair of scissors as she commanded me to wash the rest of myself. I did so before she could, and Leech did the same. "Yes, Thief Mistress." We chorused and she grinned. "I'm not that intimidating, am I? You can call me Ani, by the way, I hate titles. Leech, you need a new name. Mouse, you can change yours if you-" "I don't want to. Mouse is a perfectly fine name." "Can I be called Lynne?" Leech asked quietly. Ani couldn't hear her. "What?" "Lynne. I. I think it's a pretty name. I heard it before. Somewhere. I think it was my name. back when I was. someone." She was quiet. It was the first time I'd heard Leech, I mean, Lynne, talk about her past. I touched my hair, Ani was finished, It was naturally thin and light gold, like wheat, and when I felt it I could tell it was clipped fashionably short. Lynne's was a little thicker and black with curls. It was down to her knees, but Ani cut it up to her lower back. It looked better, and she rinsed the lather out of it. My head felt so. bare. I was used to a layer of grime and sweat, hair plastered onto my head. I was glad it was gone in a way, but it was unfamiliar. Ani took us out and gave us coarse towels to dry with, and then she brushed our hair once more and had us dry the rest of our bodies and dressed. I dressed in a light brown dye, knowing it was the color of my eyes, slipping on first underclothes, then shirt, then tunic, then breeches. The mirrors all around us showed how I looked. I couldn't believe it. I was. a girl, like Alleycat said. It was weird, but, nice. Lynne dressed in blue, her favorite color. Ani smiled and leaned over to us and whispered. "You're beautiful. Come on, now, we have to go eat, you know." She smiled at us. "You'll never go hungry with us. Just don't eat too much or you'll grow in width faster than in height." They headed back down the street and up into a white house with light brown roofing. Alleycat, Shift, and Thief Master were already there. They looked different. Alleycat's dark brown hair had been washed and combed back, and a few loose strands of it hung before his gold-brown eyes. His skin was lighter than usual and he wore clean clothes that were navy blue. Shift was in black, his red-brown hair was combed and cut shorter, but still as tousled as ever. His green eyes flashed with amusement. Ani introduced us. It was funny, how we knew each other but still needed an introduction. "This is Mouse and this is Lynne. Mouse, Lynne, these are Alex and Shift. Shift decided not to change his name. But if he wants to keep his darkness, that's his own choice. If you dare," she addressed Shift with the same force as she had when she pushed me in the bath. "Nick anything again, you will be sorry. We'll take you right back out of our care." Lynne nodded. "She pushed Mouse in the bath. We learned to listen when she shoved us under." I exchanged a wicked grin with Lynne and winked at Alleycat, I mean, Alex. Shift looked defeated. "Sit." Ani commanded. She walked to the head of the table and kissed Thief Master's cheek, making Alex and I blush. Lynne and Shift sit beside each other, with Shift farthest from Ani, so I sit beside Ani and Alex sits between Shift and I. I turn to him and smile, and he smiles back, but I can tell how he speaks with his eyes. Are you alright, she didn't really throw you in, did she? I shake my head no, still smiling, catching Ani's attention. She watches, aware of the silent conversation. What about you, I thought you said you wouldn't change your name. It's easier to get apprenticed with a normal name, and Alex was close. I like that name- it suits you. You could've chosen Felix. Why? It means cat. He grinned. Ani looked curious. "How do you two do that?" I shrugged. "It comes from living with each other." Then I realized how it sounded and my cheeks took on a pink tinge. Alex smirked and I hit him, annoyed. "Well it does!" Thief Master gave us a look, then brought out bowls of soup with meat, rice, cheese, and vegetables in them. He gave us each a soft furl of bread. "You look good." Alex murmured so that only I could hear. "What's it to you?" I retorted, my pink tinge deepened a little with pleasure at the compliment. He shrugged, seeing my pleasure which gave itself away all too easily on my clean face. "Butter?" he asked, giving me a stick of yellow slippery substance on a platter. I glanced at Ani, who made a 'tiny bit' sign with her thumb and her forefinger, gesturing toward the bread. I cut a small slice and spread it on the bread, and gave Ani the rest of the block. Never had food tasted so good. It was delicious and flavorful, and even Shift submitted to eating, but only one bowl. Alex had two, and I another half, and Lynne took about the same. When we were finished we were given time on our own, so we divided into pairs, me with Shift and Alex with Lynne. "I can't believe this," he muttered. We sat on the front steps of the house watching the noon-day traders in their fancy caravans. "What's'a matter, Shift?" I asked, falling into my old street rat accent. "I feel caged. With the people who killed our family at my back! As. guardians! It isn't right!" "It is right!" "You were born a skirt!" "And you were born stubborn Shift! Or did you not remember that he wasn't the on who killed them. He left the room when they did it. If he didn't do it, they'd hire someone else!" Shift slapped me. "Wake up, Street Mouse. No one cares about you anymore." I snarled, kicking him backwards. "Lynne cares about me, Alleycat cares about me, I thought you did too. You- Shift- used to care about me. I don't know what happened to you!" "I grew up." "No, I did. You have lost your age." Alex and Lynne stood in the doorway. I have never seen Alex's face so full of hatred, pure, fiery fury, until jus then. Lynne was terrified of them both. "Get out. If you don't care about us, go away. We don't need you here. We won't even protest when the guards flay your hide next time you get caught. Now get your sick, stubborn disgusting hid off the doorstep before I do it for you." He growled. Shift turned to Alex and sneered. He grabbed me and kissed me, on the lips, almost choking me, tongue caught over my lips, forcing them apart and taking mine. I tried to push him off but he wouldn't stop. "Stop, Shift, get off me." Alex pulled him off me and wrestled him to the ground, punching his jaw. It was a bloody mess. I pulled Alex off, as carefully as I could manage. My eyes told him. Let him go. Be the Alleycat I know, but don't be him. He calmed, but hugged me to his chest, eyes filled with worry. Lynne stood in the background, then scurried off, embarrassed. Alex brushed my hair from my face and looked me over. When he was satisfied I was in one piece, he released me. "If he ever, ever comes near you again, I will catch that little runt of a rat and eat him whole, tail first. He shouldn't have done that to you. It's my fault." "It's not your fault." "Yes it is." He replied stubbornly. "So far as he's concerned, you and Lynne are my weaknesses, but he thinks he can get what he wants off of you." It had started to rain. I wondered whether the water on his face were tears or raindrops. "You know what you asked me last night, Mouse?" "Yeah?" "I think maybe I do love you. And Shift knows it better than me." "Alex?" "What?" "Don't kiss me right now, ok?" "Fine, I wasn't going to-" "I know better than that. But it wouldn't be right, with Shift acting funny." "Yeah? What about if I do this?" He kissed my ear, causing me to giggle. "Or what about this?" He pushed down my collar and kissed my neck, biting it playfully. I laughed and kissed his cheek. "Yeah, I guess that's ok." "Come in, you two, you have work to do. Mouse, come with me, I have to teach you something to do during the day while I have work to do. You can choose." She led me into a room with seven different items. A quill pen and paper, a harp, a loom, a plain handkerchief, and an abacus sat on the floor. I moved towards the harp, but shook my head and picked up the quill, twirling it between my fingers. "I want to be lettered." Ani nodded. "That's a wise decision. It will help you in sums and the harp later. So. This is a- a as in apple, arrow, and-" "Alleycat." She smiled as I blushed. "Then there's B." she wrote the letter with a line and a hump on the lower left hand side. "Baby, beautiful, blush." We continued like this until dinner, which was a thick stew, and as good as lunch had been. I whispered to Ani. "S-T-E-W, stew." I wrote the letter on my plate with a fork. She grinned, nodding. Alex nudged me. "You're lettered?" I nodded. "I can teach you." He shook his head. "Master Dylane said he would." I stared. "You're apprenticed to him." He shrugged. "He doesn't do anything all day but write papers, so for now I just sort the letters he gets and forms and whatever. I just look for the color paper and which ones look the same." He grinned at me. "I thought he did naming too and whipping and." "He doesn't, we just dress it up because the people who do are under his command. But he does name. He says that's the fun part. Especially with killers. He can name them anything he wants and doesn't have to worry about being sorry for them. You he named to annoy you and because he says you were the first female street rat he'd seen in ages and as he said, you have more hair, too. He met you before Leech. Me he named because he said he thought I acted quiet, bored, and regal like a cat. Shift he said didn't stop moving and Leech because when she first met him he bit her. It was in a market, I don't think she recognized him, but he grabbed her when the shopkeeper missed and she bit him and took off. You know, Ani used to live in the tunnels. His Master offered her boarding and apprenticeship at-" "If you two have to talk about someone, at the very least don't talk about me behind my back. Anyhow, I kind of liked the tunnels, sort of like you still do. But I've heard it's roomier now, with moss and mushrooms, Thanks to Roach. He was four when I left." "We must've just missed each other then. I came in when he was five. I must've been six." "You wouldn't have liked me very much. I was like a dominator. I was also the oldest, like you. I never burned mine off though. I took strips of bandage and did up my whole hand. Now of course, I just use sheets of paper." When she rolled it up there were five X's. "Back then the limit was six. It depended on what you stole for how many X's you got." "Oh." I couldn't think of anything else to say. "How many have you two got, and why?" Thief Master grinned, pulling out a book. "Mouse has one, it says she assisted a robbery by pretending to browse a stall while Shift stole four pot-pies. That dates back to when there were twelve of them. Alleycat, now Alex, has stolen all of these: tonic, cough syrup, vitamins, water, sausages, bread, and a soup bone, presumably for Rascal. Those are only the ones he got caught for. The medicine was for Mite, who had blue pox. If I remember correctly, that was why and the first time I met you." He meant me. "You do a very good baring of teeth. And that was the best cat imitation I've ever seen." I thought the cat was my animal. Hey, I was pissed off, ok? Ok. under one condition. And that is? Can I have a kiss goodnight? Fine. Alright then. Ani gave us a reproachful look. I grimaced because she gestured towards Lynne, who was blushing furiously and trying hard not to laugh. I nudged her and she stopped, swallowed and tried to eat normally but snorted into her stew. Thief Master chuckled smiling, understanding and whispered something to Ani, who smiled. "I already knew. You did too, or you would have just called him part of the family too, so shut up and eat your stew. Both of you. Lynne, you'd best be quiet too, or I'll never let you act like them and I will shave your head bald." Lynne was quiet as a mouse, if you'll excuse the pun. "Can I go?" I asked, shooting a dirty look at Lynne. "May I be excused?" Ani corrected. "May I be excused?" I repeated. "Yes you may. And you too, if you want." She nodded at Alex and Lynne. Lynne shook her head, smirking, but Alex nodded, ignoring her. "You all have more free time before you need to rest. I'll give you another turn of the hourglass." I hurried upstairs, then looked around, confused. I couldn't tell which room was mine. No room had more than one bed. "The white one is yours- the all-white one. The blue one is Lynne's and the gray one is mine. The green one over there is Dylane and Ani's. The two others are guest rooms." Alex's voice murmured over my shoulder. I gasped, surprised. "The whole room- all mine? All of it, everything in it and-" He nodded. "All yours. Ani's put your clothes inside. And the harp and your quill pen and paper is on your desk. She told me to tell you. The lavatory is down the hall." I let it all sink in for a minute, then turned around. "So what do you want to do?" "Go stroll around the market- no, that's too dangerous. Lord knows what Shift might do. I don't feel comfortable about that today. Maybe tomorrow night." He looked at the harp. "Can you play yet?" I shook my head and went into the room with Alex at my heels. I sat and plucked a few notes. Suddenly I felt a strange tug on my fingers as I recognized a bit of a tune I had heard and let go of the tug, letting it play on it's own. I heard my own voice singing.  
  
For ever and ever will for ever be, As deep as the ocean as wide as the sea, And Bonny, my Bonny, My Bonny be, Come back, come back, come back to me. The waves will not take you the moon and stars guide, Out of the chaos of darkness divide. My Bonny, my Bonny, come back to me.  
  
"That was beautiful, Mouse, where did you learn to play like that?" Ani asked from the doorway. Apparently I had an audience. "I don't know." I sighed. "I've only been on the streets for a year, but before that I don't remember. But I was a skirt, and that I know. And my momma was pretty. At least, I figure she was. Most ladies are." "Tell me about the harp." Thief Master stood beside me. "What are these ones?" he fingered a red string. "C- the blues are F." I almost choked. "How did I know that?" I asked weakly, and Ani shrugged. "All I know is that you're very, very good." "What if I don't want to be very, very good? What if I just want to be as I have been? What if I don't want to act differently or be treated differently- What if. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be ungrateful. I'm just confused. If I was good at something, why did my momma get rid of me?" "I don't know. But she was damn foolish too. That's about all I know." Thief Master muttered. "Unless you're just a natural. But no person should give anyone away." "Go away." I said tiredly. "I need time to rest." Ani, Lynne, and Thief Master left, leaving Alex on the bed and me on my chair before my harp. "Do you know anything happy?" he asked, curious. "I can come up with something." I replied, suddenly feeling better. I wiped off my tears.  
  
My, oh, my, I just want to fly above all of this, pandemonium My, oh, my, Way up high above all the stars and the heavens All I want is a way to keep my head above the waters Way up high, with you. My, oh, my, I just want to run away from all this chaos My, oh, my, All the way to the ends of the Earth for All I want is a way to keep myself from drowning In my love for you. Boy, it's all I want It's all I can help Boy, it's all I need It's all I can't help How am I to Save me from my love for you.  
  
"Did you come up with that?" he asked, impressed. "Yeah. It's kind of spur of the moment." I replied. "What were you thinking about?" "Nothing. My head just blanked out. Like before. What, did you want me to say you?"' "I'm not that cruel." "I know, that's my style." He laughed. "You aren't cruel. Just playful." He caught me to himself, pulling me against his chest the way he had the last day we were street rats. I grinned at him. "The Alleycat likes mice." He growled, hungrily. I giggled, shooting him a glare. "All mice?" "No, just the common Street Mouse." He slipped an arm around my waist possessively. "Who, me?" I asked with all false innocence as he flipped down my collar, unbuttoning the top few buttons of my shirt. He pressed me onto the bed. "Yes, you, what kind of Mouse did you expect, the kind that lives in the hole?" "I've heard you like them better than me." "I like no one better than you." He replied, voice husky, slipping off my tunic and taking to part my shirt. I flicked my tongue over my teeth just barely. "Is that so?" He snorted. I had only my band and my breeches on. "You're trying to seduce me." "And supposing that I am?" I asked cruelly. "Where exactly did you learn all this, my lady love?" I shrugged. "Maybe I'm a natural at lots of things." He kissed me sweetly and gently for about a second, then willed himself away. "I shouldn't do this, I'm taking away your innocence." I purred. "More likely it's the other way around." "Temptress Mouse, temptress Mouse, must you torment my chained soul." He kissed my neck, then my lips, hands on my bare waist. His breath was light and fresh, his tongue gently aggressive, almost pleading that I respond, coaxing me, and I felt myself yield to his touch, sliding my arms around his neck. He broke the kiss only to breathe, and his lips met mine again, hands tracing liquid lines on my sides. I breathe 


End file.
